About this project

$40,356

pledged of $20,000 goal

522

backers

***PROJECT UPDATE***

We're thrilled to announce that we've just been accepted into the Toronto Independent Film Festival! We're convinced it's due in large part to the buzz you've created through this successful campaign. Thank you!!! This also means that we have new, larger budget needs for the world premiere in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 10th, and our actual marketing and distribution budget is over $70k, so let's keep going! The bigger success on Kickstarter, the bigger the release, and the bigger the impact the film will have on the world.

But making a documentary is only half the work and money; releasing it is the other half. Through this Kickstarter campaign, we hope to raise enough funds to put us well on our way towards a successful theatrical, DVD and digital release this fall. We also hope to increase awareness about our film. Crowdfunding is only partially about raising money; it's also about growing community around a project, and this low-budget indie doc was raised by the community for the community. By the end of these four weeks, we hope to reach 5,000 "likes" on our Facebook page and 5,000 Twitter followers to really be able to really engage with the community.

ABOUT THE FILM:

Part sociological experiment and part adventure comedy, Vegucated
is a feature-length documentary that follows three meat and
cheese lovers from different backgrounds who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks.
Lured by tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to
uncover the hidden sides of animal agriculture that make them wonder
whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc.
go far enough. Before long, they find themselves risking everything to
expose an industry they supported just weeks before. But can their
convictions carry them through when times get tough?

After many years in production, what we’ve ended up with is an entertaining, accessible, honest, and, we
believe, universal story about the challenges and the rewards that come
along with consciously putting one’s actions in alignment with one’s
beliefs. It’s also a timely story as we stand on the brink of an
“alternative lifestyle” becoming solidly mainstream as more and more
people choose plant-based living and more and more media outlets
position it as a viable, common sense, and enjoyable solution to some of
the greatest environmental, health, and ethical challenges of our time.

Our hope is that this film will further the conversation about our
culture and our relationship to animals, our planet, and our bodies
through our food. We hope people who have started down the veg path
will share it with friends and family and create more peace and
understanding at the dinner table. And, of course, we hope that people
who are curious about plant-based living will watch it and feel inspired to embark on some delicious
and fulfilling adventures of their own.

For more info about the film, please visit GetVegucated.com and sign up for updates.

ABOUT THE RELEASE:

We plan to partner with local organizations in key cities for our theatrical release this fall and then release the film on DVD and digitally before the holidays. We're working with FilmBuff, a digital entertainment curator offered by one of the largest and most successful providers of digital entertainment content, to help get the film onto platforms like iTunes, Netflix, and VuDu video on demand. In early 2011 we will launch our community screenings campaign and house party potluck campaign.

In the meantime, we have been offering sneak peek previews of the film at conferences this summer, including one in Portland, Oregon Thursday, August 25th, to get the veg community energized about the release.

*Editing and authoring a special shorter DVD for high school educators

*Translating the film into other languages ($1,300 per language)

WHAT YOU GET:

Besides our heartfelt thanks and good karma, we are happy to share special rewards, including fun experiences and material goods such as a GetVegucated.com fashion tee designed by Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart of Vaute Couture at the $50 level and above. It features the Albert Einstein quote, "Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival
of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

The tees are made from a blend of materials that includes polyester made from recycled soda bottles, organic cotton, and plant cellulose rayon, and are printed with low-impact dyes. They are super soft and comfy and come in two shirt colors (cream and gray) and three design colors (pink, blue, and pistachio green).

Other rewards include banners on our Sponsors & Allies wepage, lunch at Candle Cafe, and a private tour of Peter Max's studio by the artist himself as well as a signed limited special edition Vegucated poster designed by him.

- a special "Sweets for the Sweet" package of assorted goodies from the beloved Sweet 'n Sara Bakery, the original manufacturer of 100% gelatin-free, 100% vegetarian and vegan marshmallows. Our favorite confection: the Rocky Road Bark. A-a-a-mazing!

- a 4-course vegan meal for 4 people in your own NYC home prepared by
Daphne Cheng of Vérité Catering. Vérité
is the choice vegan caterer in the NYC metropolitan area. Specializing
in eclectic, contemporary cuisine, owner and chef Daphne never
ceases to seduce your tastebuds with her innovative and fresh cuisine.

- A vegan fashionista package complete with a pair of gorgeous olsen Haus
shoes, a beautiful Evolve Accessories necklace, and a personal styling
session with gorgeous glamazon Chloe Jo Davis from GirlieGirl Army. Chloe will take you to
her eco fashion haunts Kaight and MooShoes at a day and time of mutual
choosing for a 2-hour styling session where she will advise you on your
best (eco) assets and how to flaunt them and will answer any and all of your
cruelty-free fashionista queries. Cost of clothes, shoes and accessories
not included but special GirlieGirl prices are.

(Note: You get to pick from the olsen Haus collection and choose from available stock in your size.)

- 2 tickets to the NYC premiere and exclusive after-party sponsored by GirlieGirl Army

- having the film translated into the (pre-approved) language of your choice, plus 10 copies of the film in that language.

FAQs:

When will I receive my DVD or t-shirt?

The general DVD
release is currently slated for right before the holidays. As backers of our project, you will receive your rewards right before the general DVD release. To save time,
money and resources, we will be sending the t-shirts at the same time
as the DVDs. By the way, both make excellent gifts. ;-)

How will you know what size and color t-shirt I want?

After the Kickstarter is over, we'll be sending you an email requesting your size, color choice, and mailing address.

Can I give my pledge as a gift?

How
nice of you! Yes. If you'd like, we can send your entire reward to
someone else. When we contact you to collect shipping info after we
reach our goal, just note that it's a gift and give us the recipient's
shipping info.

Is the Kickstarter really all or nothing? What happens if we don't hit the goal within the time span?

Yes,
it really is all or nothing. If we don't raise the whole amount ($20k),
we will receive nothing. Your credit card will never be charged.

Can we exceed the goal?

We
most certainly can. How cool that would be! Kickstarter will let us keep whatever amount we
raise within our time allotted (30 days) as long as we reach our goal.
$20k may seem like a lot of money, but it won't cover the entire
release and all the costs listed above. The more money we raise here, the bigger and better the release will be.

Can I increase my pledge once I've made one?

Absolutely!
After you've pledged once, just sign into Kickstarter, click on the
"Manage Your Donation" button that will have replaced the "Back this
Project" button and enter a higher amount and, if you like, select the
corresponding (higher) reward.

What if I don't want to receive a reward?

Then
you will still receive a reward, but a different kind: our sincere
thanks and awe at your utter selflessness. There's a button you can
select indicating that you don't want a reward.

Will my pledge be displayed publicly?

Nope. No one will know how much you pledge except for us.

If I don't live in the U.S., can I still back this project and receive rewards?

Yes!
If you contribute enough to merit a material reward, then please help
us cover shipping costs by adding $1 if you're in Canada and $5 if
you live elsewhere. You can write in any amount for your pledge, so
instead of entering $50, for example, write in $51 if you live in Canada or
$55 if outside of Canada or the U.S.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $25 or more
About $25

A signed copy of the Vegucated DVD mailed to you right before the general DVD release later this fall, plus the public thank you listed above. (If you live in Canada, please add $1 to your pledge to cover shipping for every reward at the $25 donor level and above; everyone outside the U.S. and Canada, please add $5 to your pledge to cover shipping rewards at $25 level and above.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

*A new one-off!* Astrologer Demetrius Bagley will share a one-hour dialogue of advice and affirmations. His chart reading with you will review planetary influences in your life at birth, in the present, and forthcoming. (This reward comes with a signed copy of the DVD and is not included in any other reward levels.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $150 or more
About $150

*New Addition!* A package just for book worms that includes bestseller Veganist by Kathy Freston, Eat Right America Food Scoring Guide by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. and signed copies of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition by superstar nutritionist Julieanna Hever, Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts by "Queen of Vegan Desserts" pastry chef Fran Costigan, and Animal Attraction, the exciting new romance novel by author Jenna McClure that features a spunky vegetarian heroine who falls for the "wrong" guy. (This reward comes with a signed copy of the DVD and are not included in any other reward levels.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $225 or more
About $225

*New Addition!* A special "Sweets for the Sweet" package of assorted goodies from Sweet 'n Sara Bakery (retail price $100) on top of rewards at the $100 level. (This reward does not come automatically in levels above $225.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

A house party screening kit that includes two extra DVDs, a discussion guide written by humane educator Zoe Weil, a recipe packet by cookbook author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, and a Skype chat with the director and a film subject after your at-home screening, plus everything above.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

A banner for your business/organization's website on the Sponsors & Allies page of GetVegucated.com and all above. (Please note: the business or org must not involve animal exploitation. Contact us for guidelines/questions.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

*A new one-off!* A 4-course vegan meal for 4 people in your own NYC home prepared by Daphne Cheng of Vérité Catering. Specializing in eclectic, contemporary cuisine, Daphne never ceases to seduce your tastebuds with her innovative and fresh cuisine. (This reward comes with a signed copy of the DVD and is not included in any other reward levels.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $750 or more
About $750

*A new one-off!* A vegan fashionista package complete with a pair of gorgeous olsen Haus shoes, a beautiful Evolve Accessories necklace, a copy of Green Is the New Black: How to Change the World with Style by Tamsin Blanchard, and a personal styling session with Chloe Jo Davis from GirlieGirl Army. Chloe will take you to her eco fashion haunts Kaight and MooShoes at a day and time of mutual choosing for a 2-hour styling session where she will advise you on your best (eco) assets and how to flaunt them and will answer any and all of your cruelty-free fashionista queries. Cost of clothes, shoes and accessories not included but special GirlieGirl prices are. (This reward comes with a signed copy of the DVD and is not included in any other reward levels.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,300 or more
About $1,300

*New Addition!* We will have the film translated & subtitled into a language of your choice. Reward includes 10 copies of the DVD in that language, a special feature of you (photo and brief bio) on our website and in a Get Vegucated e-newsletter, plus the knowledge that you brought this film's message to whole new areas of the world. Please contact us to pre-approve your language of choice. We have Spanish covered already and are now especially looking for French, Italian, German and Chinese but are open to more. (This reward also comes with a signed copy of the English language DVD and is not included in any other levels.)